The Audit Connection Blog
Unveiling FIT's latest enhancements: school district data and the return of FIT’s most requested feature
For the first time ever, financial data for all 295 Washington public school districts is available in FIT. Additionally, FIT’s most requested feature has returned, with added improvements. All FIT users are once again able to explore the detailed breakdown of any government’s summary financials, and drill deeper into the data. ... CONTINUE READING
State has taken appropriate steps in transition to new financial system, but risks remain, audit finds
The State Auditor's Office has published a performance audit of the "One Washington" project that is modernizing the state's administrative financial reporting system. The audit offers recommendations to help the state mitigate the risks of the transition to ensure the new system can produce reliable and accurate financial statements. ... CONTINUE READING
Marysville School District’s financial condition jeopardizes future operations, audit finds
A recent audit from the State Auditor's Office reported that the Marysville School District's declining financial condition raises substantial doubt about its ability to keep operating. ... CONTINUE READING
Use our updated Best Practices for Tracking Small and Attractive Assets today, to prevent your assets from walking away tomorrow
Most governments own a variety of assets that they track and inventory, beyond what they do for financial reporting purposes. We call them small and attractive assets here in Washington state, and they tend to mysteriously disappear more than other asset types, due to their portability and attractiveness for personal use. Our updated guide, Best Practices for Small and Attractive Assets can help you navigate your options – so that you can develop a policy and set of internal controls that works for you. ... CONTINUE READING
Performance audit identifies key strategies to recruit and retain special education staff
A performance audit from the State Auditor's Office looked into the causes for why school districts across the state struggle to recruit and retain sufficient special education teachers and staff. The report offers some possible practices to improve recruitment and retention of special education employees. ... CONTINUE READING
Auditors find nearly $900,000 misappropriation at Office of Administrative Hearings
The State Auditor's Office found an employee at the Office of Administrative Hearings misappropriated nearly $900,000 through fraudulent credit card purchases. ... CONTINUE READING
Annual audit of Washington’s spending finds state continues to struggle to meet federal rules and resolve repeat issues
The State Auditor's Office's 2023 single audit issued a record 86 findings—half of which relate to unresolved issues from prior audits—and we are questioning close to $1.2 billion in costs. View our infographic for a summary of how state agencies spent federal money, and how Washington can improve its compliance with federal rules. ... CONTINUE READING
The state of fraud in local governments: a candid Q&A with SAO’s Brandi Pritchard
Misappropriation of public funds and fraud cases have surged in just the past year due to remote work, artificial intelligence and other factors. ProPublica recently spoke with SAO’s Brandi Pritchard to find out more in a candid Q&A interview. ... CONTINUE READING
Thank you for filing your fiscal year 2023 annual report on time
Our Office would like to thank every local government that filed its fiscal year 2023 annual report on time! This year, about 86 percent of local governments met the annual filing deadline (more than 1500 total), proving once again that compliance, accountability and transparency matter in Washington state. ... CONTINUE READING
The Office of the Washington State Auditor's cyber checkups, leaders earn national honors
The National State Auditors Association (NSAA) honored SAO’s cyber checkup program with its 2024 Excellence in Accountability Award for special projects at its annual conference earlier this month. NSAA also awarded its Distinguished Service Award to Scott Frank, SAO’s Director of Performance and Information Technology Audits. ... CONTINUE READING